Supporting and insulating connection eor electric conductors



J. w. HOOLEY SUPPORTING AND INSULATING CONNECTIONVFO'R EIIECTRIC-GONDUGTORS 2 Sheets-Shet Original 1 11621 M55 18, 1931 June Z 7, 1933.

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J. W. HOOLEY SUPPORTING 'AND INSULATING CONNECTION FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Original Filed. May 18 1931 Reissued June 27,

UNITED sTA. as PATENT OFFICE JOHN w. HOOLEY, or LABCHMONT, NEW YORK, assrsnoa T HIXLEY nnnc'rmc oom- PANY, OF NEW YORK,'N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SUPPORTING- .AND INSULATING CONNECTION FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Original Io.'.1,888, 516, dated December 29, 1981, Serial No. 538,329, filed May 18, 1931. Application for i reissue filed April 10, 1933. Serial No. 665,465.

This invention relates generally to boxes or cabinets for the accommodation and reception of panelboards, distributing boards,

switch boards, interconnection boxes for signal systems such as telephones, bells, and any members or devices that may be used for distributing light and power, wiring connections, or'wires or conductors. And the inventionrelates more particularlyto an unproved form of combined support for the conductors or cables and connection between the cable and bus-bar or other cable.

-At present, those interested in electrical work such as. electrical engineers, mannfac-. turers and underwriters, limit the number of conductors in conduits, and such conductors are so limited until they enter a panel or connection box, or so-called pull box or j unction box. 'Then the conductors are generally crossed and run in haphazard manner order to make connections to the c1rcu1t "pro- I tecting or other devices in the panel cabinet.

An improved multiple circuit electrical distributing device for use in overcoming objections and difficulties encountered in mak ing such installations as referred to,is described and claimed" in Letters Patent No.

1,796,521 issued to me March 17, 1931', and improvements therein are described and claimed in Let 's Patent No. 1,838,515 issued to,me. December 9, 1931 upon my application filed March 12, 1931, Serial No. 521,949, of which application the present one is a continuation in part. i

Heretofoieso far asI am aware, the connections between the main cables and .the bus bars or other conductors in cabinets contain- I ing circuit protecting or other devices, have en complicated, and require operations such as wedging, soldering, or taping. And

Lit has been diflicult to. so anchor the cables as to properly sustain them and prevent theweight of the cables, or vibrations. of the building, or other force, fromfefl'ectin'g such strain as to pull the cables out ofgposition Such prior methods of effecting the connections of the cables are generally unsatisfactolg, 'and produce unsightly results;

to theneutral, bar 18. e ob ect of my present inventlon 1s toprovide electrical mechanism ordevices with improved connections which so support the electric conductors that they can not slip.

\Vith said object in view, my invention comprises. the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings v Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved cabinet in one of its forms, the usual front door or panel thereof being omitted.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 v of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a section on line 33 of Figure 1, on a larger scale Figure 4. is a view similar to a portion of tions 31 through which threadedstuds-32 pass to hold the plate in position, and barrier or division strips 36. As so far described, the structure is illustrated the same as in the Patent No. 1,838,515 hereinbefore referred to, the reference characters being the same as in said patent. Further description of the con tents of the cabinet herein is unnecessary because the present invention relates 'to the conductors or main cables and the supporting connections thereof which will now be described.

At one side of the members already described, is a vertical space or raceway to accommodate the cable conductors-and the supporting devices therefor. In the, particular embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration herein, there-are three-cables two of which are designated at 50, 50, for connection to the bus bars 22.01: branch lines, and the third one designated at 51 for connection The conduits 52 through which the cables lead to the cabinet are secured thereto as by means of bushings 53 at their inner ends inside the bottom and top walls of the cabinet, and suitable lock nuts 54 outside said walls. Each cable is illustrated as having the usual protective sheathing, which sheathing, when the cable is to be installed, is removed in the proper location to bare that portion of the core of the cable which is to be gripped by conducting members of the supporting blocks or the connection now to be described, and one of which is illustrated in detail in Figures 4, 5 and 6. A description of one will suflice for all three.

Permanently secured to the rear wallof the cabinet or other support, as by welding or otherwise, is a foot piece 55 on which is mounted, and suitably secured as by screws or bolts -56, two oppositely recessed blocks 57 of insulating material. Projecting from the top of the upper block' 57 are ribs 58 the purpose of which is to prevent any cable which may cross over the connecting support, from contact with the screws 56 or the stud bolt 61 presently to be described.

Mounted in the space which exists by the presence of the recesses in the insulating blocks 57 are two blocks 59 of copper, brass, or other suitable conducting material, said blocks having screws 60 by which they are firmly held with their inner concave portions gripping the bared portion of the cable mounted therein.

The upper block 59 has a threaded socket for a stud bolt 61 which latter passes through an aperture in one end of a connecting member, as a bar 62, the. other end of which (Figs. 1 and 3) is secured by a stud bolt 63 to the end of the neutral connection or bar 18. A

similar bar or strip might connect each of the two bus bars 22 with stud bolt 61, but I have chosen to illustrate, in Figure 1, that the said bus bars may have integral extensions to reach the stud bolts.

It'will now be understood that I have provided a combination cable support and cable connector which is anchored securely, as by means of the metal strip or foot piece 55 which is spot welded or secured to the cabinet or other support in other approved manner. and a cabinet may come to a building with said part-s already in place, and with the bus bars and other members also in place. To effect installation. the insulation on the cable is removed at the proper point. the upper block 57 and the upper block 59 are removed and after laying the cable in the cavity then replaced, the screws 60 being actuated to cause the blocks 59 to firmly grip the'bared portion of the cable, and act as an anchor to hold the cable in place and also provide the necessarv electrical connection. In other words, the cable is gripped directly on its copper core and is held,

against slippage, and the entire electrical connection consisting of the blocks 59, and

bus bars &c., is securely held in place and protected electrically and mechanically by the structure of the cabinet itself.

Heretofore it has been customary to em ploy devices for supporting cables and other electrical conductors which devices included gripping members which contacted with the insulating sheathing of such conductors. Inasmuch as there is no known insulatlng material for such sheathing purposes that kind of conductor, the insulating blocks 57 4 provide support for the conducting blocks 59 which latter are shaped to grip and support the conductor 50. And since the latter has a bared portion that is directly gripped by the conducting blocks, the structure as a whole provides a device which clamps and firmly holds a conductor, which conductor and also the conducting gripping members are main tained-in insulated position by the non-conducting members 57. Therefore, whether the conductor 50 is a sheathed cable or not, there is no insulation intervening between the grip ping members and the conductor to' permit slippage from any cause.

Having now described my invention, I claim 1. A cabinet for electrical mechanisms, having a cable conductor, a mechanical sup- ..port and an electrical connection at a single point on said conductor, the means provid ing for the electrical connection being en tirely independent of the mechanical support.

2. A cabinet for electrical mechanisms, having a cable conductor, a frictionally gripping mechanical support and an electrical connection at a single point on said conductor, the means providing for the electrical connection being entirely independent of the mechanical support.

3. A cabinet for a series of electrical mechanisms or devices, said cabinet including bus bars and cable conductors, a mechanical support and an electrical connection for each conductor at a single point thereof, the means providing for the electrical connections being entirely independent of the mechanical supports.

4:. A cabinet for electrical mechanisms, having a cable conductor, a mechanical support and an electrical connection at a single point on said conductor, said support having in the insulating blocks, said conducting blocks having portions shaped to grip an electric cable, means for causing the conducting blocks to clamp a cable, and independent means for electrically connecting the conducting blocks with electrical mechanism mounted in the cabinet.

7. A combined mechanical support and electrical connection engaging a bare conductor at one point of the latter, the means providing for the electrical connectionbeing entirely independent of the mechani al support.

8. A combined mechanical support and electrical connection engaging a bare conductor at one point of the latter, the electrical 7 connection being separable without disturbing the mechanical support. and the said supportincluding an insulated mounting.

9. A combined support and electrical contions shaped and lockable to grip an electric conductor.

13. The combination with an electric conductor, of a support therefor comprising gripping members contacting with a mid-end bare portion of the conductor, and non-co'nducting members enclosing the gripping members in an insulated position.

14. Means for maintaining an electrica conductor in operative position, comprising metallic members shaped to engage and rip opposite mid-end surfaces of a bare con uctor, and insulating material enclosing the gripping members.

In testimony whereof I'have aflixed my signature.

JOHN W. HOOLEY.

nection including a pair of insulating blocks,

a pair of conducting blocks enclosed in the insulating blocks, said conducting blocks having portions shaped to grip an electric conductor, means for causing the conducting blocks to clamp a conductor, and independent means for electrically connecting the conducting blocks to a branch circuit.

10. An insulated combination support and 1 current connection for a bare electric conductor, lncluding metallic conductor-gripping members completely spaced apart to permit them to grip a conductor at a point intermediate its ends, and independently 0p erable means for a branch connection.

11. A combined support and current connection for an electric conductor, comprising metallic members shaped and gripping 0p-' posite mid-end surfaces of a bare conductor, means for mounting the metallic members in fixed position including insulating material lnterposed between the metallic gripping members and the said mounting enclosing said gripping members.

12. The combination with an insulated electric conductor having a bared mid-end area, of a connection for said conductor including a pair of insulating blocks, and a pair of conducting blocks carried by the insulating blocks, said conducting blocks having pormeans and 

